Adopt Local
Meet your next best friend.
Every pet in our care is family, and a lot of the best family comes from a shelter. Our own Steve - Chief Inspiration Officer, The Real Boss, Columbus Humane Alum #52395242 - spent time waiting for someone to pick him. Somebody wonderful is waiting for you too.
Reviewed and updated September 2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Dogs.
Columbus HumaneSteve's Alma Mater
3015 Scioto Darby Executive Ct, Hilliard • Walk-ins Tuesday-Saturday, 12-6 • Full-service humane society with dogs, cats, and small animals
Franklin County Dog Shelter & Adoption Center
4340 Tamarack Blvd, Columbus • (614) 525-3647 • 60-100 dogs available at any time; the adoption fee includes license, vaccinations, spay/neuter, and microchip - one of the best deals in rescue
Columbus Dog Connection
2761 Johnstown Rd, Columbus • 25+ years of rescue work, plus low-cost spay/neuter and a monthly vaccine clinic
CHA Animal Shelter
3765 Corporate Dr, Columbus (Westerville area) • No-kill shelter for dogs and cats, run by Citizens for Humane Action since 1972
Have a Breed in Mind?
Some hearts are set on one breed - a childhood dog, a family tradition, a face you've loved forever. No judgment here. The good news: nearly every breed has a dedicated rescue, full of purebreds waiting for exactly the person who loves their kind. A few local ones, and the directory for all the rest:
Buckeye Bulldog Rescue
Central Ohio • English and French Bulldogs, rehabilitated and rehomed by a volunteer foster network
Ohio Pug Rescue
Statewide, all-volunteer • Every homeless pug in Ohio, regardless of age or health
AKC Rescue Network
National directory of breed-specific rescues, organized by breed - if your breed exists, its rescue is in here
AKC Marketplace
And if your heart is set on a puppy from a reputable breeder, start here: the AKC's own listing of registered litters and Breeders of Merit, where health testing and standards are on record
Cats.
Cat Welfare AssociationEst. 1945
741 Wetmore Rd, Columbus • One of the oldest cat shelters in the country, a cage-free haven near Clintonville
Colony Cats (& dogs)
2740 Festival Ln, Dublin • All-volunteer rescue focused on cat overpopulation; dogs too, despite the name's fine print
Pets Without Parents
629 Oakland Park Ave, Columbus • By appointment • Neighborhood no-kill shelter for cats and dogs, matching carefully since 2001
Rabbits.
Columbus House Rabbit Society
Columbus chapter of the national House Rabbit Society • Rescue, education, and honest advice on whether a rabbit fits your home
Looking for vets, poison hotlines, or local pet stores? It's all in the Central Ohio Pet Guide.